Antarctic Pilot

380 BOOK REVIEWS celestial observations. All evidence indicates that Henson was Capital and all his numerous other corporate sponsors’ names to barely literate. And in a 1909 letter to his patron, Thomas H. newly discovered or invented headlands on the Arctic Ocean as Hubbard, Peary stated categorically that Henson could not take Peary did to guarantee their immortality, but he does splash astronomical observations.) Moreover, one cannot be impressed them liberally across his pages, like the branding done in with the authority of Avery’s demonstration of how easy it would contemporary movies, to increase their exposure. be for Peary to navigate a true course north when he states as a Peary once said that discovering the North Pole would make fact that, ‘because the sun completes a full 360-degree circle of him the equal of Columbus and Napoleon. And the reactions of the earth in one twenty-four-hour day, one degree of longitude Avery’s explorer-critics to his success in reaching the North equates to four minutes’ time’ (page 289). Pole in 37 days, something Wally Herbert said beforehand So Avery is right and wrong: his trip does not prove Peary was ‘impossible,’ and Avery’s retorts suggest that one thing, reached the pole nor even that Peary could have reached the at least, hasn’t changed in a hundred years: the egos of explorers pole in 37 days in 1909. It does prove that Tom Avery’s party, and adventurers and their overestimation of the importance of as equipped and resupplied, reached the North Pole in 37 what they have actually done or claimed to have done are days in 2005, however. And it shows that just as in Peary’s still as big as they were a century ago. (Robert M. Bryce, time, big money can be coaxed from rich sponsors if they see Montgomery College, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown, some advantage in providing it. Avery did not attach Barclays Maryland 20876, USA.) SMITHSONIAN AT THE POLES: CONTRIBUTIONS from other affiliations show wide involvement on a variety TO INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR SCIENCE. Igor of subjects. The chapters are grouped into six themes – Krupnik, Michael A. Lang, and Scott E. Miller (Editors). 2009. IPY histories and legacies; cultural studies; systematics and Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. xv + biology of polar organisms; methods and techniques of under-ice 405 p. illustrated, paper cover. ISBN 978-0-9788460-1-5. Free research; environmental change and polar marine ecosystems; on request to Ms. Ginger Strader, Manager ([email protected]). and polar astronomy: observational cosmology. Multi-authored doi:10.1017/S0032247409990349 chapters are particularly prominent in the latter 4 groups, where affiliations range from a variety of U.S. and non-U.S. academic institutions and research centres, the Smithsonian This volume represents the Proceedings of the ‘Smithsonian Institution, and native populations in Greenland and Nunavut. at the Poles Symposium,’ held at the Smithsonian Institution Along with authors’ names commonly seen in the literature on 3–4 May 2007, and is published as a contribution to the associated with products of their research (Gerald Kooyman, International Polar Year (IPY) 2007–2008. The symposium Scripps, diving physiology of emperor penguins and Weddell was a joint initiative of the International Council for Science seals, as only one example), it is gratifying to see native (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). names as co-authors as well, indicating their involvement in An objective of the symposium was to increase understanding the research. Examples are seen in a chapter on narwhal of how polar regions affect the habitability of our planet. dentition, the 15 authors have affiliations from the Smithsonian Multidisciplinary research from the IPY already provides as well as names of elders and hunters from Nunavut and new evidence of the widespread effects of global warming in Greenland. the polar regions. Snow and ice are declining in both, affecting Most of the illustrations and maps are in black and white, human livelihoods as well as local plant and animal life in the with some on glossy paper in colour to enhance the resolution Arctic, as well as global ocean and atmospheric circulation and and readability of the data. An 11 page index helps the reader sea level. The chapters in this volume address many of those locate significant topics in the various chapters. Smithsonian concerns and more, as our planet experiences changes that will should be commended for making the book available at no cost, eventually affect humans as well as its fauna and flora. thus widening the audience for a significant series of subjects The 31 chapters by 79 authors represent research associated related to the IPY. (John Splettstoesser, P.O Box 515, Waconia, with Smithsonian initiatives, although the numerous co-authors Minnesota U.S.A. 55387.) ANTARCTIC PILOT: COMPRISING THE COASTS OF deep in the bowels of the Hydrographic Office in Taunton there ANTARCTICA AND ALL ISLANDS SOUTH OF THE exists some person, who perhaps rarely sees the light of day, USUAL ROUTE OF VESSELS. S.J. Lawrence (compiler). whose task it is to insert in these ostensibly most functional 2009. Taunton: United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. 7th and prosaic of books an element of poetry, a desire to bid edition. xviii + 489p., illustrated, hard cover. ISBN: 978-0-70- farewell to normal cares and to embark on a voyage ... it 774-2014. £50.10. matters little where. A much more distinguished writer than doi:10.1017/S0032247409990465 the present reviewer made a similar point. Somerset Maugham at the start of his famous story Thevesselofwrath, written in 1931, enlarges on the merits of the series of works of The very subtitle of this latest edition of the Antarctic Pilot which the Antarctic Pilot is representative. ‘There are few referring to ‘all islands south of the usual route of vessels’ is books in the world that contain more meat than the Sailing likely to engender a quickening of the pulse in the reader even Directions published by the Hydrographic Department....’. before perusal of the volume starts. One has long suspected that He devotes more than a page of the story to a description BOOK REVIEWS 381 of the series in question especially noting their ‘matter-of- The rest of the book continues in the same vein. In the fact style, the admirable order, the concision with which the section on the Antarctic Peninsula for example we find the most material is set before you, the stern sense of the practical that detailed possible description of all the passages and bays in that informs every line’ but which cannot ‘dim the poetry’ contained complex area. There can be few if any members of expedition therein. He mentions also the variety of incidental information cruise staff, who may have landed at some of their favourites provided, availability of supplies at various anchorages and very many times, for example Paradise Harbour, who would so forth, and concludes ‘[c]an the imagination want more not find something that they did not know. Moreover there are material than this to go on a journey through time and clear colour photographs (from where did the photographers space?’ (Maugham 1951). The answer, surely, is a resounding obtain the weather in which they were taken?) of beacons, negative. refuge huts and so forth. For example in the case of Dorian The Antarctic Pilot has long been the essential vade mecum Bay we have half page photographs of the beacon and of of mariners in the far south and the latest edition, compiled both huts, the latter clearly showing the flagpole up which by Captain S.J. Lawrence, is even more valuable than its this reviewer hoisted the Union Flag, which he found neatly distant predecessors in that it includes a stunning set of colour folded on a shelf inside the hut, the last time he was there. It photographs. But apart from this welcome innovation, the format was replaced on the shelf at the end of the visit, one hopes is traditional. After a glossary, which contains such esoteric with equal neatness! Dorian Bay is followed by Port Lockroy, material as the Cyrillic morse code, chapter 1 is introductory that most visited site, with full information for approaching but it still comprises 102 pages. Here we are straight back to the harbour with the rather surprising note that this ‘can be Maugham since we are immediately advised of the fairly obvious entered at night with the assistance of radar or searchlights.’ point that ‘as a result of the lack of landmass...and the frequency There is, of course, an excellent photograph of Bransfield of cyclones in the area, very heavy seas and high swells House. are frequently encountered.’ This constitutes the first of the The whole of the accessible part of the Antarctic coast- warnings to mariners mentioned frequently throughout the book line is covered with the same exhaustive attention to detail including, for example, the possibility of encountering mines and the descriptions of the less frequented parts are full (from World War II) in Kerguelen, and ‘explosives scattered’ of advice reflecting the imperfect state of charting, difficult around close to the former Wilkes Station. Indeed it seems that conditions etc. In describing the Australian Antarctic Territory the only ocean going hazard that sailors are unlikely to encounter the compiler permits himself the observation (unattributed) in the area is piracy. This chapter is wonderfully comprehensive that this is the ‘home of the blizzard’ and for George VI and as well as the sort of information one might reasonably Land mariners are ‘warned not to place any reliance on their expect to appear, ice concentrations and so forth, there is a magnetic compass’ due to the proximity of the South Magnetic full account of the wildlife, with excellent photographs.

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